Red Cross Stories

At the beginning of September, I had the opportunity to travel to Prince George, B.C. in response to the B.C. Wildfires as a Communications Responder. During my time there, I had a chance to experience, support, and learn about the operations of a disaster response for the first time. If I had to describe my deployment experience in two words I’d say: eye-opening and fulfilling. Here are three insights that best capture my deployment experience:

Twenty years ago on September 2, 1998, flight Swissair 111 crashed off Nova Scotia’s picturesque fishing village of Peggy’s Cove. An hour after taking off from New York bound for Geneva, a fire prompted an attempt to reach Halifax for an emergency landing but the airliner crashed in St. Margaret’s Bay, killing all 229 passengers and crew.

David Fraser has been a disaster management and communications volunteer for more than 10 years, providing comfort in times of emergency for many Canadians. Recently, he received the highest honour as a volunteer, the Order of the Red Cross, for his dedication in going above and beyond to help others.

Whether ensuring people are getting the equipment they need, or washing and maintaining returned equipment, the Red Cross Health Equipment Loan Program (HELP) relies on its volunteers.

Today we have a reason to smile, because we’re celebrating the Red Cross Movement. We celebrate the values of the Red Cross including, supporting the most vulnerable and strengthening communities. We celebrate showing humanity in the midst of inhumanity.

Hello from Halifax! Thirteen years ago, I looked into volunteering somewhere where I could help people and make a difference in my community. I decided to check out a Canadian Red Cross volunteer orientation session and after reviewing the various positions, applied to become a member of the emergency response team.

National Volunteer Week is the perfect opportunity to thank the people who selflessly rush to help others during disasters and emergencies, assist with prevention and safety initiatives, or provide community health and wellness services. We are so thankful to the thousands of volunteers who make our work possible. We asked a few of our amazing volunteers why they dedicate their time and efforts into helping others and here is what some had to say:

​The image of a group of women heading out to the makeshift camps in Bangladesh, their Red Cross t-shirts visible beneath their lightweight headscarves, remains in the mind of Denyse Bourgault. Bourgault was on the ground in the Cox’s Bazar district as a psychosocial support (PSS) delegate from the Canadian Red Cross to help those who crossed the border fleeing violence in Myanmar.